Carson City Visitors Bureau only state entity to receive NEA grant

The Carson City Visitors Bureau is one of 75 nonprofit organizations selected to receive the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read Grant, a literary grant challenging communities to create month-long programming around the themes of selected novels.

It's the first time Nevada has received the award in eight years and the only organization in the state to receive it this year.

"We are honored to be chosen as a grant recipient," said Mark Salinas, Carson City's director of arts and culture. "My $28,000 grant proposal creates collaboration with the Nevada State Museum and the Carson City Library celebrating Charles Portis' 'True Grit' novel."

The 2017-2018 grants range from $5,000 to $20,000 for community reading programs taking place in 32 states and focusing on 21 works of literature, such as Emily St. John Mandel's "Station Eleven," Claudia Rankine's "Citizen: An American Lyric" and Dinaw Mengestu's "The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears." Grant recipients range from schools to libraries to arts organizations.

The Carson City Visitors Bureau received a $14,000, one-to-one matching grant to create a month of activities centered around, "True Grit."

Salinas said about 30 local and state nonprofits, business, schools, and arts organizations will be involved in the project, which will run between May and June 2018.

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"Through the NEA Big Read, we are bringing contemporary works to communities across the country, helping us better understand the diverse voices and perspectives that come with it," said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. "These 75 organizations have developed unique plans to celebrate these works, including numerous opportunities for exploration and conversation."

Since 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts has funded more than 1,400 NEA Big Read programs, providing more than $19 million in grants to organizations nationwide. In addition, Big Read activities have reached every Congressional district in the country. Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities.